In addition to the huge White Stork above, there were a dozen White Ibis, several Great Egrets, and a host of others sloshing around in one small marshy spot yesterday morning. Must have been some tasty breakfast snacks available.They were literally lined up on the boardwalk railings, and kept taking turns flying in and out […]
The American Bittern featured above is one of those special, elusive birds that we don’t see out in the open very often. Several birders stood watching him for the longest time . . . waiting for him to just DO something! Meantime, he was very accommodating to stand in this little clearing and be […]
As much as I try to be ready to capture shots of birds in flight that might chance to pass overhead when I am in wide open areas, or to adjust my settings to capture a small bird hiding in the shadows, sometimes the only thing I can do is click the shutter – and […]
The Purple Gallinule is one of my favorite wetland birds. I loved how this one looked, surrounded by the dark green plants and dark blues of the water on a late afternoon December walk. We see them frequently here, all throughout the year. Their colors are just glorious in the sun, as their feathers truly […]
The late Chabad Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson is quoted as saying, “Melody is the quill of the soul. Words may be an expression of your heart, but a melody expresses the contents of your soul. . . . “ (Source: Prisms, Uplifting Views on Daily Life, 2014). We made a visit to the renowned world […]
I love to watch Tri-colored Herons as they hunt in the shallow water – their technique is so showy! It’s no wonder they are so slender – they perform feats of acrobatics over and over again just to fill up on a meal of one teeny, tiny, little fish after another. The process begins as […]
Exciting news!! They have arrived! The Great Blue Herons are coming back and are beginning to settle in at the wetlands rookery. Today was the first time this fall that I saw them ‘displaying’, as in this arched neck posture, and jockeying for the best nesting sites on the tree island. They looked just magical in […]
Visited a lovely preserve called Peaceful Waters Sanctuary this week. Such an apt name! Even in the rain, it was a pleasure to walk the trails and the boardwalk – not a soul around, just a few Herons and I enjoying this very tranquil spot. On my second trip, today, the handsome Green Heron was […]
I caught sight of this Osprey on the look-out, high up in a tree at Ding Darling NWR, and waited patiently for him to do something exciting! He sat staring intently out across the water below, occasionally bobbing in the wind to keep his balance on the skinny branches. It didn’t take too long to zero in on […]
The other morning was the chilliest so far this fall, and completely overcast, with occasional drizzle, so I wasn’t sure I’d see much on my walk. But I was delighted to encounter several of my favorite bird friends! The Wood Stork featured above was foraging among the marsh grasses, when he suddenly leapt up and made a […]
Birder's Journey 